Eschatological Chutzpah

Let’s begin with some definitions. Eschatology is the branch of theology that relates to end time prophecies and events. Chutzpah is a Hebrew word that can be translated as nerve, gall, or audacity. When an English-speaking person uses the word, chutzpah, he normally does so to emphasize that a particular statement or action is especially outrageous. So, “Eschatological Chutzpah” refers to a statement about end time prophecy that is characterized by unmitigated audacity.

Dispensationalism Defined

To understand and appreciate two such statements I have in mind, one further definition is required — the definition of Dispensationalism. This term, as it applies to end time prophecy, refers to those who are Premillennial in viewpoint and who believe in a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. They also believe that the Jews are still the Chosen People of God and that one day, at the end of the Tribulation, a great remnant of them will accept Yeshua (Jesus) as their Messiah.

Dispensationalists are very careful to keep God’s promises to the Jews separate from the promises He has made to the Church. And they adamantly reject the anti-Jewish viewpoint that has dominated Christendom for 2,000 years, called Replacement Theology. It is the unbiblical idea that God has washed His hands of the Jews and has no purpose left for them because they rejected Jesus as their Messiah.

Dispensationalists point to Romans 3:1-4 and Romans 9-11 as proof positive that God still loves the Jewish people and that He still has a purpose for them. They totally reject the idea that the promises God made to the Jews have been transferred to the Church.

Dispensationalists also believe that the numerous prophecies in the Old Testament about an end time regathering of the Jews to their homeland and the re-establishment of their state are being fulfilled in Israel today. Accordingly, Dispensationalists are often referred to as “Christian Zionists” since they are the staunchest defenders of the Jewish state in all of Christendom today.

Chutzpah Example #1

Now, with this background, let’s proceed to two incredible examples of Eschatological Chutzpah that I want to share with you.

On July 12th, Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute, interviewed Dr. Gary Burge on his radio program called “The Bible Answer Man.” Dr. Burge is a professor of theology at Wheaton College.

Dr. Burge is also the most outspoken American Christian critic of Israel and supporter of the Palestinians. He has helped organize conferences held within the Palestinian Authority where Jew haters have spewed their contempt of the Jews and Israel, have denounced the Jewish claim on the land, and have expressed their unqualified support of the cut-throat, blood-thirsty leaders of the Palestinian Movement, including Yasser Arafat, who was the world’s leading terrorist.

The first example of Eschatological Chutzpah on this program occurred when Hanegraaff began with a preamble in which he condemned Christian Zionists for being “racist” and supporting “ethnic cleansing.” Absolutely incredible!

Who are the real racists in the Middle East who are intent on ethnic-cleansing? They are the Arab Muslims whom Hanegraaff and Burge so enthusiastically support. There are over one million Arabs living within the Jewish state, all of whom have complete democratic rights. Not one Jew is allowed to live in the surrounding Arab nations. And who is intent on killing whom? It is not the Jews who are committing acts of terror against innocent civilians. It is not Jews who are daily shooting rockets into Arab countries. It is not the Jews who are teaching their children in their schools to hate and kill Arabs.

As I have often put it: “The situation in the Middle East can be summed up very simply in this observation: If the Arabs were to disarm, there would be peace; but if the Jews were to disarm, Israel would cease to exist.”

Chutzpah Example #2

The second example of Eschatological Chutzpah in this off-the-wall radio conversation was Gary Burge’s contention that Dispensationalists are the true anti-Semites! How he could deliver that line with a straight face is beyond my comprehension.

His explanation of this absurd accusation was based on the fact that Dispensationalists teach the Church will be raptured out of this world before the Tribulation begins while the Jews will be left behind to suffer the wrath of God (together with unsaved Gentiles), and that two-thirds of the Jews will die in the process (together with one-half of the Gentiles).

How can this teaching be considered anti-Semitic when it comes straight out of the Scriptures? (See, for example, Zechariah 13:7-9.) The Bible teaches very specifically that in the end times God will regather the Jews back to their homeland and re-establish their state (Isaiah 11:10-12 and Ezekiel 37:1-22). God will then bring all the nations of the world against the Jewish state (Zechariah 12:1-3), not because He hates the Jews, but because He loves them (Malachi 3:1-4). He wants to bring them to the end of themselves and put them in a position where they will have no one to turn to except Him. At that point, He will send Jesus back, and when the Jewish people see Him returning in majesty, they will repent and accept Him as their Messiah, to the everlasting glory of God (Zechariah 12:10).

And so you have it — a perfect example of Eschatological Chutzpah. Just think about it: two anti-Semitic proponents of the Islamic enemies of Israel calling the greatest supporters of Israel, “anti-Semitic.” Now, that’s the definition of chutzpah!

Dr. David Reagan

Dr. David Reagan serves as the Founder and Director of Lamb & Lion Ministries. He is a life-long Bible student, teacher, and preacher whose sermons have been distributed worldwide and has led 45 pilgrimages to Israel. Dr. Reagan is the host of the television program Christ in Prophecy.

Wow! What an enlightening article. I would imagine these so called christians fr reagan is reporting on have never actually read scripture.We ALL need to remember to answer the call of God to intercede daily for Israel… 🙂 amen

There has been much more than this with Hank. He was in Tehran back in April at a conference promoting the Occupy Wall Street movement and he sang lots of praises of Iran's Islamic fundamentalist regime. This is from Fed Butler:

I would have been a bit dubious of this item until I truly saw it, but Hank Hanegraaff, you know, the Christian Research Institute president and daily Bible Answer Man host, was recently participating with a conference promoting Occupy Wall Street in all places, Tehran, Iran.

Excellent article! Outside of calling it 'Chutzpah', I have made the exact same arguements you did there Dr. Reagan. I've been called everything under the sun, for my Love of YHVH and all that He loves… including His Chosen People, Yisra'el. I look at it this way, the Hebrew people are His Chosen People, and true Church is His adopted children through Yeshua. While YHVH the Father was married to Yisra'el back in the Torah, we are to be married to the Son! Dispensationalist don't want anyone to die without accepting salvation through Yesha, first, but we know scripture says there will be billions who don't accept YHVH's invitation to salvation, including many, if not most Jews. It greives us to the depths of our hearts that this will happen, but happen it will, for the Word is never wrong, and what it say will be, will be. Most Dispensationalist view scripture from a literal stand point… what the Word says is taken literally unless the supporting verses tell us it is not to be taken literally.

Unfortunately, Wheaton is certainly not alone in its erroneous teachings and adpotion of Emergent Church teachings, which include anti-Yisra'el view points.

just an observation. God calls Israel the nation His wife. Jesus calls the Church His Bride. A Bride is not called a wife until after the ceremony. So will the Church'ceremony be in Heaven and then we all become a wife? A little confusing to little ole me.

While the 7-year Tribulation is occurring, the Bible records the Church will be busy in heaven post-Rapture with three events. None of the three have to do with suffering on a world being destroyed.

The first event the raptured Church will participate in is a judgment by God — the Judgment of the Just. This judgment on works is not to determine eternal destiny, but to determine degrees of reward (2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 19:6-9).

The second event is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. This feast celebrates the spiritual marriage of Christ's Bride — the Church — to her Savior. Revelation 19:7-9 shares this wonderful celebration, "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Then the angel said to me, 'Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' And he added, 'These are the true words of God.'"

The third event follows the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and is the Church's preparation to follow the King of Kings into the Battle of Armageddon at the conclusion of the Tribulation. This event is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ (Zech. 14:1-21; Matt. 24:29-31; Mk. 13:24-27; Lk. 21:25-27; Rev. 19:11-21). Revelation 19:14 identifies the Church in their "fine linen, white and clean," which was given to them during the first event — the Judgment of the Just. The Church and angelic forces follow the King of Kings into His Second Coming to the earth, but only Jesus Himself will engage in battle and with mere words defeats the nations in siege against Jerusalem.

I have used rhe name gentilenzionist for years on different boards, thank you one again for speaking truth. I was grafted into the vine when I beleived, that is why I use the name. Zionism simply means that the jewish people own the land by title deed from the Father.

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Lamb & Lion Ministries was established for the purpose of proclaiming the soon return of Jesus. We do not believe it is possible to know the date when Jesus will return. But we do believe it is possible to know the season of the Lord's return, and it is our conviction that we are living in that season...